Obono-Obla joins race for APC National Secretary seat
A former presidential aide and anti-corruption campaigner, Okoi Obono-Obla, has formally declared his intention to contest for the position of National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead
A former presidential aide and anti-corruption campaigner, Okoi Obono-Obla, has formally declared his intention to contest for the position of National Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the party’s National Convention slated for March 2026.
Speaking with The Nation on Sunday in Abuja, Obono-Obla, who previously served as Chairman of the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP), said his entry into the race was driven by a desire to strengthen the institutional foundations of the party and ensure that its operations remain firmly rooted in legality, transparency, and administrative competence.
“I am not just a candidate, but a custodian of integrity, experience, and vision,” he said while announcing his aspiration.
The lawyer, who boasts about 35 years of legal practice across Nigeria’s judicial system, argued that his background would help safeguard the APC from avoidable legal disputes and internal crises.
According to him, the National Secretary’s office — which oversees the administrative machinery of the party — requires someone with deep institutional knowledge of governance, law and party operations.
“Political parties are not casual associations; they are serious public institutions through which leaders are recruited and entrusted with the destiny of nations,” Obono-Obla said in a statement to party members.
He added that the forthcoming convention presents a “golden opportunity” for the party to elect leaders capable of consolidating its structures and reinforcing its democratic culture.
Read Also: EFCC hands over 753 housing units seized from ex-CBN Gov to ministry
“I offer myself to serve in the decision-making organ of our great party not lightly, but with conviction; I know this party intimately, I was among those who negotiated its formation, and I carry within me the institutional memory that can guide its trajectory with wisdom and foresight,” he said.
Beyond his anti-corruption work, Obono-Obla also served as Special Assistant to the President and to the Attorney-General of the Federation, positions he said gave him insight into the delicate intersection between politics, policy formulation, and governance.
He was also Acting Secretary of the Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee, where he worked on strengthening the implementation of justice sector reforms nationwide.
According to him, these experiences have equipped him with the administrative discipline required to manage the complex bureaucracy of a ruling party.
Obono-Obla, a founding member of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), also used the opportunity to call for greater inclusiveness within the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), noting that the APC emerged from a coalition of political tendencies that must continue to be reflected in its leadership structure.
The APC was formed in 2013 through a merger of several opposition forces, including the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and other political blocs.
He noted that in the outgoing NEC, only one member came from the defunct CPC bloc - a situation he believes should be addressed.
“It would be excellent if the forthcoming NEC were deliberately made more inclusive, reflecting all the tendencies of the rainbow coalition the APC has now become,” he said.
Political observers say such calls may resonate within sections of the party seeking to rebalance internal power dynamics ahead of the convention.
The aspirant also weighed in on growing speculation surrounding the zoning arrangement for the 2026 convention, insisting that the party leadership has not officially announced any formula.
“For now, the party has not announced the zoning formula for the 2026 national convention; the stories circulating on social media concerning zoning remain unconfirmed,” he said, arguing that party members and aspirants are free to indicate interest in any office as a way of stimulating internal democratic debate.
“My appeal is simple,” he said. “Let us entrust the future of our party to capable hands. Let us choose leaders who embody competence, fairness, and vision.”
If successful, he said, the APC would emerge from the convention stronger, more cohesive, and better positioned to retain its dominance in Nigeria’s political landscape.
